Chain-conveyer



(No Model.)

M. GARLAND.

CHAIN GONVEYER.

No. 344,178. Patented June 22, 1886.

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UNITE MICHAEL GARLAND, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

CHAlN-CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,178, dated June 22,1886.

Applicatin filed March 53, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL GARLAND, of Bay City, in the county of Bayand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Conveyor-Chains; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in what areknown as chain-conveyors, in which, in connection with some suitabletrough or case, a chain is employed which is formed or provided withwhat are called fflightsflfor conveying or carrying along the material(such as sawdust or offal, &c.) discharged into or supplied to saidtrough or case; and my invention consists in certain novel devices andcombinations of devices going to make up a chain of this type ordescription, which novel features will be hereinafter more fullyexplained, and will be most specifically defined and pointed out in theclaims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow proceed to more fully describe the construction and operation of achain embracing my several im; provemcnts, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and inwhich I have shown my invention carried out in these forms, as to theseveral features, in which I have so far practiced it, and which are thebest forms now known to me.

In the drawings, Figure lis a top view of a chain made according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side or edge view of the same. Fig. 3

isa face view of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 4 is an edge viewof the form of chain shown at Fig. 3.

In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by thesame letter of reference.

At Figs. 1 and 2 the chain shown is made up of boX-like'links, thecross-bars or flights B of which are parallel and transverse to thelength of the chain, and the side bars, A, of which are arranged out ofparallelism, as clearly shown, each one of the hex-like links, so tospeak, being composed of the separate Serial No. 193,781. No model.)

side bars, A, and the separate cross-bars B, arranged and operatedtogether in the following manner-that is to say: To each one of thecrossbars B is secured at the piutle-like ends of the latter those twoends of two side bars, A, which are nearer together than the other cndsof said side bars, while said other ends of said sidebars are flexiblyconnected to and hinged upon 'the pintlelike portion of the next oradjacent cross-bar B. To effect the rigid connection between the twoconverging ends of the side bars with one of the crossbars B, I make theinner portion ofthe pintlcs of said cross-bar with small ribs orfeatherlike projections B, and engage said projections with splines orslots cut in the peripheries of the circular eyes of the side bars wherethe latter are slipped onto the said pintlc like portions of thecross-bars B; and to flexibly connect the opposite or diverging ends ofthe side bars with the outer portions of the pintlcs of the nextcrossbar I form said pintlcs with lug-like projections B, and form theeyes in the ends of said bars with cutouts or slots A, and so that whenthe said side bars and the said Crossbars are turned out of a workingposition the convergent ends. of the side bars may be coupled to anduncoupled from the pintlcs of the crossbar, but when turned into aworking position the lugs B will retain the bars in their proper hingedcondition, all in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

a and a" are respectively outwardly and inwardly projecting scrapers orclearers, which project from the outer and inner surfaces of the sidebars in close proximity to the articulations of the chain, and theseclearers or scrapers,being equal in height to the height of the sidebars of the chain, operate as conveyers or carriers to push forward themass of material I or substance within the conveyertrough, and toprevent any fine stuff in said trough (such as sawdust, for instance)from accumulating under the leading and rounded ends of the side bars ofthe chain, and to thus avoid any tendency of the chain to climb or rideover the material in the bottom of the box or trough of the conveyor.

Preferably some of the cross-bars B are extended upwardly, as seen at H,the said extensions constituting supplemental flights adapted to carryalong any unusual quantities or any overcharge of material in the con-tveyer; but as these supplemental flights constitute the subject-matterof another application by 1ne,they need not be further described herein.The leading ends of the side bars are preferably squared out, as seen ata, as an additional precaution against any tendency of the chain to rideover any fine material in the bottom of the conveyer-trough.

At Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a preferable form of my improved conveyorchain, which is made of duplicate parts, each comprising two side bars AA and one cross-bar B, formed integrally, the said cross-bar having twopintle-like ends, to which are coupled or hinged the forward divergentends of the side bars of a similar link. In this form of chain there isemployed substantially the same means for coupling the links together,so as not to become accidentally uncoupled, and consists in the lugs B,formed on the end portions of the pintles B, and adapted to pass throughcutouts or slots in the eyes'of the divergent ends of the side bars whenany two links are turned out of their working position (in a manner wellunderstood.) In this form of chain the diverging ends of the side bars,A A, have of courseto be distended or forced somewhat widely apartinorder to get them to embrace the pintlelike portion or ends of thecross-bar, with which they are flexibly connected. In putting togetherand taking apart the links this distention may be effected by anysuitable expander, which may be applied, for instance, interiorly of theside bars, A, and at the points Oand D,-

so as to force the divergent ends of the side bars farther apart, asindicated by the arrows at Fig. 3.

It will be observed that in both forms of chain shown the side bars,which are run at a slight angle to each other, have the end portions,inwhich are formed the eyes, to engage either rigidly or flexibly, asmay be required, wit-h the pintles of the cross-bars formed in planesparallel to a line running centrally and longitudinally of the chain. Bythis form or construction of the side bars those portions of the chainwhich are articulated o1 jointed work with freedom and perfection withthe coupled links in any of their possible relative positions.

In carrying out my invention all the different features may or may notbe used together, as some of them may be employed with more or lessadvantage in the absence of the others.

Of course any of the details of construction may be varied from theprecise forms shown without departing from the spirit of my invention.

, Having now so fully explained the construction and operation of myimproved chain in those forms in which I have so far practiced myinvention, what I claim herein as new, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

2. A conveyer-chain composed oflinks, each of which comprises onecross-bar and two side bars, the said two side bars being arrangeddivergently relatively to the cross-bar, and formed with the endportions in planes parallel to each other and to the central line of thechain, and both the cross-bar and the two side bars being rectangular orplate-like in crosssection for the purpose of constituting thecarrier-receptacles, all substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. A conveyor-chain composed of obliquely arranged side bars andparallel transverse or cross bars, the said side bars being formed orprovided with one or more outwardly-projecting scrapers or clearingdevices, a substantiall y as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the obliquely-arranged side bars, A A, across-bar or flight, B, formed or provided with a lug, B, near the endof each of its pintle-like portions, to engage -with acorrespondingly-shaped slot or cut-out in the eye of each of the sidebars of another link, for the purpose of effecting the flexibleconnection between the parts of two links, and permitting the uncouplingand recoupling of such parts, all substantially as hereinbefore setforth.

5. In combination with the obliquely-arranged side bars, A A, of twoadjacent links, a cross-bar or flight, B, having at different localitieson each of its pintle-like portions the lugs B and B, forthe purposes,respectively, of retaining in place the flexibly-connected ends of theside bars of one link and holding rigidly in place the ends of the sidebars of another link, all substantially as hereinbefore described.

6. In combination with the side bars of a chain composed of a series oflinks, substantially such as described, the two series of pro jectionsor scrapers a and a", arranged and operated in substantially the mannerand for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 27th day of February,1886.

MICHAEL GARLAND.

In presence of- I-IEZEKIAH M. GILLETT, MORRIS L. COURTRIGHT.

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